Jamaican man accused of hijacking Canadian jetliner on airport tarmac is found guilty

Jamaican man accused of hijacking jet found guilty

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man accused of hijacking a Canadian jetliner while it sat on the airport tarmac in Montego Bay was found guilty Thursday, officials said.

The judge convicted Stephen Fray, 21, of charges including robbery and assault, public prosecution director Paula Llewellyn said. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8.

Fray allegedly pushed his way into a CanJet Airlines plane with 167 passengers aboard April 19. He was accused of firing his father’s licensed .38-caliber revolver into the air, taking money from passengers and demanding to be flown off the island. Police captured him after a six-hour standoff.

Defense attorney George Thomas expressed disappointment in the verdict.

Fray “did not know what he was doing at the time, and he did not know that what he was doing was illegal,” Thomas said.

Fray’s motive remains unclear, and Jamaican authorities have described him as “mentally challenged,” without elaborating.

A judge ruled Fray was fit to stand trial after a government psychiatrist determined he was capable of understanding the charges against him.

Some 22 witnesses testified in the trial that began Sept. 14.